THE HSE IS investigating after the family of a person who died from Covid-19 was given the wrong body by the mortuary in Mullingar Regional Hospital.

A full internal review has been ordered into the incident, the Irish Mail on Sunday first reported today. 

The family were not made aware of this mistake until shortly before the funeral service of the deceased was due to begin, the newspaper said. 

Chief Operations Officer of the HSE, Anne O’Connor, said it is hoped to be an isolated incident. 

“That incident is being investigated and any learnings from that, but obviously it’s a very important and critical thing for us, so we would hope that certainly the policies and procedures that are in place would ensure that that doesn’t happen  anywhere else,” she said at a HSE press briefing today.  

CEO of the HSE Paul Reid expressed his apologies to the families concerned.

Funeral directors are not required to use body bags for Covid-19 cases, but the HSPC advises using a bag for certain practical reasons in its most recent guidance.